A week ago today, I attended the memorial for Bill Leak at the Sydney Town Hall.
As I scanned the crowd, an eclectic group of people who had known Bill one way or another, I had to ask where were the Labor people? Where was Shorten, Plibersek or Dreyfus?
In the wake of the 2004 election, with the Howard government enjoying a majority in both houses, there was no opposition in the parliament. For at least two years, the worst part of Coalition MPs’ days was opening up The Australian and flipping to Bill Leak’s cartoon, to see another hilarious lampooning of their leader.
I would have thought some of the Labor people might have made an appearance simply out of gratitude for those dark days. It bothers me they stayed away and it speaks of a faddish clannishness the old Labor people would regard with contempt.
Bill Leak embraced everyone he met. Ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, it didn’t matter. He genuinely enjoyed the company of people but it was more than that. If he spied someone feeling awkward or a bit uncomfortable, Bill would bound up and make a fuss of them. He not only had the ability to make people feel special but he brought a sense of fairness and equity to any table.
It is a politician’s gift but Bill was not on the ballot. He wasn’t trying to sell anything. He simply loved people.
Full column here.
Apologies to everyone for my bad temper the last couple of days, especially Jack. I’m not proud of myself. Nobody needs it. Going to take a little break. Go well, all.
Just have a bowl of pasta.
On your knees, out with your beads comrade…but we all love you Bow.
TBLS, don’t see much apart from some robust discussions myself, so don’t stay away for too long, your contributions are smart and you actually have some real experience to draw on.
Of course i like to read Dismayed, it’s the quickest way to find out today’s Shorten talking points for starters.
HK Jack – too true, The BLS is not only smart, informed and cultured, but funny with it. If he’s having a spell, I can’t blame him, but look forward to his return.
The genius of Elon Musk knows no bounds, Mr Insider, as we now read he is now focused on developing the capabilities of the brain through technological augmentation and has started a new Company called Neuralink. It will develop a brain-computer interface tech as a means to help ensure humans can keep pace with the accelerating development of artificial intelligence. What a man he is, Mr Insider, not content with solving South Australia’s Power Generation problems in record time, zipping a rocket to the Moon next year and designing Cars that drive themselves he has now moved to the development of the Brain. I shall today be contacting Elon today to order this new device and await its arrival with great anticipation.
http://tinyurl.com/kaqznkq
It offers some promise Enery. For boulevardier sensualists such as me, and dare I speculate, you, who have become jaded with the limitations of on line porn the possibility of achieving more reasonable cost effective outcomes from the exorbitant cost of Viagra this does seem to be a promising development.
Be careful however what programs you select to interface with. Knowing Musk, you might find yourself convinced you have been to the moon and back, and incapable undoing that belief in spite of the only evidence of the expedition existing in your own mind.
Sage advice there for sure dear Mr Baptiste. I was hoping to recapture my lost youth with Elon’s device but that may be a ways off. Cheers.
Bella – re your 8.22pm 28 Mar, so many conflicting stories, however I cede to your better judgement and knowledge on animal welfare issues.
“The love of all living creatures is the most noble attribute of man.” – Charles Darwin
Regards
Carl
I don’t know about “better knowledge” Carl, I’ll continue to regard input from any & all sources on animal protections as valuable.
Great quote by the way. I love this one by Bob Hunter, one of the original founders of Greenpeace.
“My separate existence is an illusion
Ecology is flow
You and I are most definitely part of the flow
Everything we do affects the flow and
Everything the flow does affects us.”
My best mate, Bella
Just saw the cricket score – WTF? Anyway, JTI noticed your comments – reasoned.
Too busy getting stuff ready for a flying visit to Honkers tomorrow – Jack, I heard the weather is fine?
Also received “Trigger Warning” today – I will always remember Bill Leak, and JTI, belated commiserations on the loss of a friend. I have a number of favorite cartoonists – BLeak is the best, but also Zapiro (South Africa), Len Norris (the Vancouver Sun, when my parents lived there in the late 50’s. early 60’s), and Pickering, when he wrote for the Canberra Times. He has gone a bit rancid since….
nice time of year here, high teens, low 20s and most days not too humid yet.
i think i saw ian Chappell liken this series to the 2005 Ashes and there is something in that.
two good teams, closely matched, going hard at it, the Tests hovering on a knife edge mostly, some great individual performances.
No shame in this for the Aussies, they played some great cricket.
But it would have been absolutely great to be able to shove it right up that prick Kolhi.
He doesn’t want to be friends anymore ……..well boo, bloody hoo!
Think NZ is going to be deprived of a win against SA today due the rain and an absolutely water logged out field
David Marr discussing his Quarterly Essay on Pauline Hanson with Philip Adams tonight was very interesting. Fascinating in fact.
BODHISATTVA….riveting stuff…compulsory listening… a full expose of Mad Pauline. Gawd an trhey reckon the Greens are looney!
Unreleted phenomena. The Greens are loons. Pauline is a bit of a
I’m sure I had more to say there.
It’s the antibiotics kicking in Dwight…
Actually Bassy, I thought Marr was surprisingly empathetic with her. I had expected him to be utterly savage. Poor old Rudd got far more of a thrashing.
Actually Bassy, having looked up Bodhisattva, I am quite flattered! I could even go through another incarnation – but it’s too hard to spell!
And it’s one of Steely Dan’s better tunes.
Bodhisattva:-hee hee..yes D.Marr spent a great deal of time alluding to Hanson’s metamorphosis into some sort of political genius.
Which surprised me. Was he being sarcastic? I got the impression that he had a genuine respect for someone with little education, worked hard in her parent’s shop as a kid. Was wrongly and unfairly imprisoned by the electoral commission, but has this self-belief that has got her to where she is.
No one saying she is right (Dismayed take note) but it was rather an essay on Pauline, the woman.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LGdyVnW86SY
Not enough runs again. you guys better stop those statues you had commissioned.
Actually, while disappointing to lose the series, I reckon Australia’s Test squad took a big step forward. This is the toughest tour in world cricket and India are a very good side. Purara the MoS for mine. Smith not far behind. By the time the team takes on England in the summer, it will be a different outfit. A new no. 5, the return of Starc and a new keeper. Wade was picked to do a job – help toughen up the squad mentally and to a large degree he has done that. We need a gloveman who can make big scores. Hello Peter Nevill. I reckon Glenn Maxwell has done enough with a good 45 today on top of his ton at Ranchi.
Ran out of gas 2 days too early. I hope for the Ashes we serve up hard fast pitches and play Starc, Cummins, Hazelwood and Pattinson or Sayers. Maxwell, Agar or the enigma Ashton Turner would have to step up in the spin dept. and batting at 6. and Smith will have to start bowling again. With a batting order that has Starc, Cummins, Pattinson coming in at 8,9,10 looks much more solid, like India’s lower order. It was a good test for the younger guys with varying results as you would expect. Renshaw seems to handle spin better than the quicks with his scissor action footwork still an issue likewise Hanscombe the English will go hard with the shorter stuff at him to firstly pin him back then try go through his double wide gate with the inswinger, off cutter. Bangladesh series will be more training on the run for them. No.5 will be another lottery. Cartwright made some good scores towards the end of the shield an all rounder he is NOT. Wildermuth , Henriques, Stoinis could fill that all rounder role. Maxi. still needs to be taken aside and advised he will bat long if he wants to stay in the side. He could go to No.5? Then again T. Head seems to be in favour and could drop in there. So many options. It has been hard fought to date and no doubt will be today. But the continued batting collapses for mine says still not the right cattle to support Smith for the next 5 years. Neville, Paine or young Alex Carey would all be good keeping options. C’mon Aussie.
That will be the bowling attack. I think Wade might only lose his place if there is someone like Nevill making a lot of runs early in the season.
nevill and carey keep like yearling kelpies..luv their glovework
Totally agree Jack. Two/one is a damn sight better than the four zip the pundits had the Aussie down for before the series. Certainly better than the Poms could do over there. For now a series in India remains the toughest test in cricket, they have so many performers on those decks its bat and ball. We have finally blooded some real talent with long term prospects.
It is the perpetual carping from arm chair critics that gives me the shits, especially those without the talent to comment fairly let alone having actually played at any worthwhile level. These guys have done their best to support Smith, and with some great results.
Lyon has performed above the level his supporters, let alone critics, thought possible. Wade certainly isn’t the best keeper in Australia, but did his best and wasn’t the worst. For example, 72 runs in this test and dismissed once, second top score in both innings.
Agree with you that Purara deserves man of the series. The award for whinger of the series was won long ago, and by a big margin.
BTW, Imsee we have another cheating scenario to take attention away from the actual cricket. It has been a most entertaining series.
Ahh here it is. This is the level you played at and it is still above your ability and far exceeds you knowledge of the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yn9-j1wg4tE
Purara run out for a duck, harrumph. The kiss of death works again. You should have been over there Jack.
Geez you’re a nong. Might have well said not enough quick and cheap wickets. A glass half full type and miserable with it. And the test is not over.
Nothing worse than a failed sportsman who couldn’t cut the mustard and didn’t man up and take it in their stride.
Cheer up lad, it’s been a compelling series, and despite tomorrows result we put the wind up the Indian’s.
See my comment above to your mate it applies to you also.
Oh it seems to have disappeared or neve appeared? I will try and find it again.
yes, we will likely lose the series, as we lost the 2005 Ashes.
but like that series, at least some players will come back with even better reputations.
in 2005 the already stellar rep of Shane Warne got a further boost, 40 wickets and more runs than Gilchrist, Martyn, or Bell, all in a losing side and while his personal life was collapsing around him. that’s greatness right there.
This time Smith has gone up yet another notch and a few others have got their careers off to a start.
just a wee bit better than the last tour of india wouldn’t you say?
Make or break time today in the cricket.
Yairs Milton. As we speak, if I may borrow from critical care jargon, the Australians are circling the plug hole.
It’s not over till it’s over. My recommendation for the bowling attack, is equal parts meth amphetamine, mescaline and adrenalin and a lot of sugar.
Yes, that seems sensible advice, Jean and I hope they spill a lot of the red and green cordial on their hands as well. Failing that one could pray for a good dose of the shits to miraculously go through the Indian team. Not looking good for the aussies but there is still a sliver of hope. And as Jack mentioned, not a bad stomping ground for the youngsters.
I still think we’ll win; and I believe that more likely than a draw!!
Time to order the wheelchair and portable oxygen cylinder for Mensink. Has he reached Majorca yet I wonder? What a farce. Why on earth are they procrastinating with the warrant?
Isn’t interesting George Christensen went ape shit some weeks ago about some sugar cane issue up there in Nth.Qld . he even threatened to leave the Coalition ,remember that , he really spat the dummy since then he’s gone as quiet as a mouse , all huff and puff , full of wind ? …
Enter stage right Pauline Hanson , she is now going of her brain demanding Malcolm sort out the farmers problems or else One Nation will not support the LNP’s giveaway of $50 Billion to big business , please stay in Canberra Malcolm.
Should , George and Malcolm be worried , I’d think so , maybe ON might win the Seat of Dawson at the next election.
George Christensen went ape shit? What a delightful and appropriate image that conjures up.
Heres a clip from Libnats convention in Ipswich last year.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_vwIb_6G40
Gives new meaning to ‘on the run’ don’t it? haha
It would seem Pauline has just called of Industrial action , the strike is off.
hazelwood closed already??
http://reneweconomy.com.au/nem-watch/
Went past it yesterday – think it was…Smokin’